These easy Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes are the perfect side dish. They can also be made ahead of time and reheated when you're ready to serve. They're perfect for family dinners or busy weeknights!

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There's nothing quite like a home-cooked holiday meal with all of the trimmings. For me, one of the best parts is the creamy mashed potatoes. And when they're twice-baked, they're even better.
This easy dish is perfect for a Christmas dinner or any other holiday meal. It's so good you could even eat it on its own! 🙂 If you have leftovers, make these Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes!
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Reader Review
Great recipe. My family ate it all up. Both pans I made.
- our reader, Helen
Ingredient Notes
This easy dish is made with simple ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store.

- Potatoes. I used yellow table potatoes, but you could also use Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, or russet potatoes. I peeled my potatoes, but if you prefer, you can leave the skin on or peel some and leave the skin on some. Leave the skin on tender new potatoes.
- Bacon. You can use any type of bacon; thick-cut bacon, thin-cut bacon, or even turkey bacon. You can also use diced ham or bacon bits.
- Butter. Mix unsalted butter with the potatoes first before adding the sour cream and milk. You can use any type of milk. Whole milk, half-and-half or heavy cream will make the potatoes richer.
- Seasoning: I used garlic powder, black pepper, and seasoning salt.
- Cheddar cheese makes this dish cheesy and delicious.
- Green onions. I only used the green part of the onion, not the white part. You could also use chives.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and scrub the potatoes with cold water. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, about 7 or 8 times. Place potatoes on the top rack of the oven. Bake potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork. This will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes and how hot your oven is. My potatoes were medium-sized, and they were done at 52 minutes. Smaller potatoes will cook faster than larger ones, so just remove them as they are done.

- While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon. Place the bacon on a cutting board, and cut the bacon into bite-size pieces.
- Add the bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until crispy. Stir often to prevent burning. Spoon the cooked bacon onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the grease.
Tip: Cook bacon in the air fryer if you have one. Cook it whole and break it apart after it cooks.
- When the potatoes are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to peel the skin off. Cut them into quarters and place them in a large bowl. You can also leave the skins on if you like.

- Add cold butter to the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher. The butter will melt into the potatoes as you mash them. Add milk, sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper and mash them into the potatoes. However, don't overmix, as this will cause the potatoes to get gummy. Mix everything together with a large spoon.

- Add crispy bacon, green onion, and shredded cheese to the potato mixture in the bowl. Reserve some of each to sprinkle on top of the casserole before baking.

- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.

- Sprinkle the remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions on top of the potatoes.

- Place the casserole in the oven - because, you know, it's twice-baked, and cook the casserole for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly on top. Enjoy!

Make-Ahead Instructions
Follow all of the instructions until you have it in the casserole dish and ready to bake. At this point, you can cover it with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
When you are ready to bake it, remove the plastic wrap, cover it with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
Variations
- Spicy - add red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
- Deluxe - add diced vegetables such as cooked broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots.
- Cheesy - Use a different type of cheese, such as mozzarella or Parmesan cheese.
Related Recipe: Smoked Cheesy Potatoes On Pellet Grill
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- How to reheat: Remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the casserole for about 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Recipe Tips
- Cut and peel the potatoes as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
- Add cold butter, not melted butter. It mixes better in the potatoes.
- Do not overmix the potatoes, otherwise, they may get a gummy texture.

Recipe FAQs
A twice-baked potato is a potato that has been baked once, then mashed and mixed with other ingredients, and then baked again. The name comes from the fact that the potato is baked twice.
Yes, twice-baked potato casserole reheats well. Just pop it in the oven or microwave to reheat.
Do not overwork the potatoes. Use a potato masher or ricer as an electric hand mixer may make them gummy.
If you don't poke a baked potato, the steam that builds up inside the potato has nowhere to go, causing the potato to have pressure cracks, and it will not be as fluffy.

What To Serve With Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Whether I serve these potatoes with a holiday dinner of Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey, Roast Ham, or Double-Smoked Ham, Campbells Green Bean Casserole or Ruths Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, and Whole30 Cranberry Sauce; they're always a huge hit!
They also go great with Smoked Whole Chicken, Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Smoked Pork Chops, Smoked Chuck Roast, or Air Fryer Thin Pork Chops.

More Potato Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Casserole dish 9 x 13
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes washed
- 8 slices bacon cooked and diced
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup butter cold, cut in cubes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded, plus more for topping
- 3 green onions, diced green part only, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, about 7 or 8 times. Place the potatoes on the top rack in your oven and bake until tender when pierced with a fork. This will take 45 to 60 minutes.
- When the potatoes are fully cooked, remove them from the oven and turn the oven down to 350℉. If you want the skins removed, use a sharp knife to cut them off as soon as they are cool enough to handle. If you want the skins on, cut the potatoes into quarters, and place them in a large bowl.
- Add cold butter to the potatoes, and mash it in. Next, add sour cream, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper. Stir with a large spoon to combine all the ingredients. Do not overmix. Some small lumps are preferable.
- Add the cooked bacon, green onion, and shredded cheese to the bowl with the potatoes, reserving some to use as a topping. Stir just until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle on the reserved shredded cheese, bacon, and green onion.
- Place the casserole back into the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbly on top. Enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- Cut and peel the potatoes as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
- Add cold butter, not melted butter. It mixes better in the potatoes.
- Do not overmix the potatoes, otherwise, they may get a gummy texture.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Helen says
great recipe.
my family ate it all up. both pans I made.
Jeri Walker says
Fantastic! I'm so glad the potatoes were a success! 🙂